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Using the state-of-the-art facilities of Adelaide Health Simulation, the course Clinical Skills and Simulation (HLTH SC 1006) introduces students to healthcare delivery and uses simulation to teach clinical skills used by health professionals.

Students develop and foster knowledge and skills in basic life support, patient assessment, measurement of vital signs and communicating with patients, while gaining an understanding of how the healthcare system in Australia works.

Senior lecturer Dr Sean Jolly and course coordinator Kerrie Stockley explain how they’ve incorporated a customised generative artificial intelligence (gen AI) software tool in health care simulation, and the benefits it’s bringing to student learning.

How are you using AI in your course?

Traditionally, students undertaking healthcare education are required to refine their skills by interacting with simulated patients, often played by actors. This provides a structured platform for students to develop medical history-taking skills incorporating communication and diagnostic acumen which align with graduate attributes. This can often be a daunting task for some students, who may be interacting with patients, simulated or otherwise, for the very first time.

In 2023, we introduced gen AI in our course to allow for additional feedback and practice opportunities which can be logistically challenging in large student cohorts. We used bespoke software which replicates the role of a patient. Students interact with a digital simulated patient and receive genuine responses mirroring that of a human patient.
Using speech-to-text, a large language model (LLM) processor (OpenAI’s API), and then text-to-speech, students converse with the digital simulated patient as though they would in the clinical environment.

Following the history-taking, the conversation is analysed using AI to determine the accuracy of clinical content and thoroughness of the patient history. The student’s communication style is also analysed, including verbal (words, grammar, structure) and paraverbal (tone, cadence, pauses) communication. The students receive individualised feedback in real time, allowing them to reflect on their progress immediately.

How are you maintaining academic integrity?

These tasks were used in a formative manner, where participation and engagement were key drivers. Collaboration was encouraged where students were able to observe and learn from each other’s feedback.

Tutors provided oversight of the feedback provided by the system and gave further information as required where students had additional follow-up questions.

All histories are maintained for retrospective review by both the learner and academics should they be required. For privacy and data storage purposes, the audio recordings were not stored once converted to text.

Did you encounter any problems, how were they resolved?

Issues encountered were predominantly technological. Some students had microphone and webcam difficulties, particularly with use of these devices within their browser. This was often resolved simply via email troubleshooting.

For one student who did not have access to a recording device, we set up a private space in Adelaide Health Simulation for them to complete their histories as required.

The implementation and integration of the software with the University’s SSO (single sign on) system and LMS (learning management system) was initially challenging due to ITDS (Information Technology and Digital Services) requirements. This led to additional work for the vendor, however these requirements were eventually able to be met.

What tips do you have for other educators interested in using gen AI in their teaching?

Students will have many questions about the learning process, it is essential to prepare them in advance and ensure that you have answers to their questions ready.

Tutors and academics need to have adequate preparation time and experience with the software prior to teaching to ensure they are familiar and confident with the interface in front of students. A discussion board can prove beneficial to allow students to share question that might pertain to the broader cohort.

We’re sharing these case examples to profile the different ways educators are approaching generative AI in their teaching practice. Before using any gen AI software tools, University of Adelaide staff should understand the ITDS Generative AI IT Security Guidelines and ensure they maintain information security and data privacy.

If you’re encouraging students to use gen AI tools in their studies, be mindful of how varying levels of access to software (including paid subscriptions) might impact education equity among diverse student cohorts.

Feel free to encourage your students to check out the  for study and research in an ethical, responsible and evaluative way.